DICK'S Sporting Goods Strengthens Partnership With the WNBA

DSG, a DICK'S Sporting Goods' exclusive brand that provides performance clothing and gear for the entire family, and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced the launch of their girls' apparel collection earlier this month. As the official sporting goods retail partner of the WNBA, DICK'S Sporting Goods is continuing its commitment to promote women's sports, encourage youth participation, and increase visibility of the league, its teams, and players through this apparel collection. While DICK'S currently carries an assortment of authentic WNBA sports apparel and equipment, this is the first time young girls will be able to enjoy an official WNBA lifestyle collection made just for them.

In an email interview with Total Retail, Melissa Christian, vice president, divisional merchandise manager, youth apparel at DICK'S Sporting Goods, discusses the reasons behind its expanded partnership with the WNBA, including why promoting women’s sports and youth participation is a core value for the retailer.

Total Retail: Why has DICK’S Sporting Goods decided to expand upon its partnership with the WNBA with a new apparel collection?
Melissa Christian: When we began our partnership with the WNBA in 2021, we wanted to think of ways DICK’S, as the largest sporting goods retailer in the U.S., was uniquely positioned to support the league.

DICK’S and the WNBA care passionately about keeping girls in sports since industry research has revealed girls tend to drop out of sports at a faster rate than boys. Product is our specialty, so designing a girls’ apparel collection was a perfect way in. We utilized our brand, DSG, to create a lifestyle collection that keeps girls closer to the game and gives them a way to represent their love of basketball and the WNBA. We’re really excited about this new collection because it's another way to boost the visibility of the WNBA, its teams, and players.

Melissa Christian, Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager, Youth Apparel, DICK'S Sporting Goods

TR: What will the partnership mean for DICK’S Sporting Goods shoppers?
MC: Similarly to past seasons, DICK’S offers a range of licensed WNBA apparel and equipment in our stores and on DICKS.com. The new collection, however, is the first time we will have WNBA lifestyle apparel that was specifically designed for young girls. This collaboration fills a void in girls' lifestyle apparel and not only fosters a sense of fandom but encourages young girls to proudly express their support for the WNBA.

TR: How have the two organizations collaborated for this new apparel collection?
MC: This collaboration has formally been in the works for well over a year. The DSG team had so much fun designing the collection and valued the insight the WNBA was able to provide on its fans to help us create something we knew would be differentiated and meet a specific consumer need. We're so excited to have this product available for girls just as the W is kicking off its 2024 season!

TR: Why is promoting women’s sports and youth participation a core value for DICK’S Sporting Goods?
MC: Promoting women’s sports and youth participation is central to the DICK’S Sporting Goods' mission, which is why the DSG x WNBA apparel line is so important to us. By promoting women's sports, we help highlight positive role models, encourage young girls to stay in sports and eventually become empowered athletes, coaches and leaders.

TR: How is DICK’S Sporting Goods and the WNBA marketing this new apparel collection?
MC: We're supporting the launch of the new apparel collection with marketing efforts across various channels such as email marketing, social media, and e-commerce.

TR: What are the goals that DICK’S Sporting Goods hopes to accomplish through its partnership with the WNBA?
MC: Our goal for this collection, and our ongoing partnership, is to inspire young athletes and drive greater interest in the league, its players and the game. Whether it's through this product collection which increases visibility of the league and gives young fans a way to show their love of it, or through our community-driven programs like It’s Her Shot which helps keep young girls in the game of basketball, we're activating in ways that support women and girls in sport — and keep women and girls in sport.